Agree. I would much rather suck it up this year with a team that isn't all that great, to turn it around next year with a high draft pick and a ton of cap space. I say cut Gaither, Clary, and Meacham. I'd be OK with keeping McClain and Royal as they are cheaper than the other 3 and at least have upside which none of the others have IMO

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Agreed, but I'd cut McClain, I don't see him being useful to us at all this year.

Royal I could live with keeping, but his cap hit is $6M next year...way to much for a guy who got outplayed by Michael Spurlock in 2012.

When I think of injury prone, Rygina is the poster child. Some guys are able to play through injuries, Merriman could not, Rivers did, Tomlinson couldn't even when needed the most. It all comes down to the kind of injury and the position one plays and I don't just mean hurt, I mean injury as in damage done that requires medical attention for proper healing and not just rest and time.

I dont think it is as much that injuries are not a concern, it is more that not all injuries are equal and not all injuries mean someone is injury prone.

As for the rest of what you say, i agree.

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My concern is that as you say, not all injuries aren't equal. If a player breaks a bone, it often heals back as strong (or stronger) than before. But, if he has muscle tears, they heal, but often become an area of weakness. Dumervil tore a pectoral, and last year he had shoulder problems.

His position requires him to constantly use his arm leverage to get free and make plays. If, his arms/upper body start to wear down, then he won't be nearly as effective a pass rusher. And lets face it, he's pretty one-dimensional as a player. He has a lot of playing time, and at his age, guys start to lose something.

I like him as a player, but I'd be cautious about investing that much money in a guy like him, considering all the other team needs. We're in a rebuilding mode..... we're not one pass rusher away from dethroning Denver.

Agreed, but I'd cut McClain, I don't see him being useful to us at all this year.

Royal I could live with keeping, but his cap hit is $6M next year...way to much for a guy who got outplayed by Michael Spurlock in 2012.

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Yeah, but you also have to consider that every player cut will need to be replaced. So i think with all the holes we already have, we can't just cut everyone, especially considering how little cap space we have

My concern is that as you say, not all injuries aren't equal. If a player breaks a bone, it often heals back as strong (or stronger) than before. But, if he has muscle tears, they heal, but often become an area of weakness. Dumervil tore a pectoral, and last year he had shoulder problems.

His position requires him to constantly use his arm leverage to get free and make plays. If, his arms/upper body start to wear down, then he won't be nearly as effective a pass rusher. And lets face it, he's pretty one-dimensional as a player. He has a lot of playing time, and at his age, guys start to lose something.

I like him as a player, but I'd be cautious about investing that much money in a guy like him, considering all the other team needs. We're in a rebuilding mode..... we're not one pass rusher away from dethroning Denver.

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I agree about being cautious and i doubt we have the cap room to sign him even at a lower salary. But he has has 20 sacks in the last 2 years while playing out of position (Should have stayed at 3-4 OLB), and that is even with the shoulder injury.

I agree about being cautious and i doubt we have the cap room to sign him even at a lower salary. But he has has 20 sacks in the last 2 years while playing out of position (Should have stayed at 3-4 OLB), and that is even with the shoulder injury.

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I don't doubt his talent, I'm merely pointing out his age/condition and the current team needs/budget have to be taken into account. Some fans think we should bring in every "name" player that becomes available..... that isn't going to happen.

Telesco has his plan, and he's going to stick with it. I question whether his budget includes a high $ pass rusher like Dumervil.

I don't doubt his talent, I'm merely pointing out his age/condition and the current team needs/budget have to be taken into account. Some fans think we should bring in every "name" player that becomes available..... that isn't going to happen.

Telesco has his plan, and he's going to stick with it. I question whether his budget includes a high $ pass rusher like Dumervil.

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I 100% agree. I would like to have a guy like him to team with Ingram, but not if it costs us the ability to improve more important positions

Seeing how some of these contracts are falling, and since we'll most likely go OL, OLB, ILB in the draft I think we should give Darius Heyward-Bey a run. Someting like 1 yr./$1.5M or 2 yr./$2.5M, he can stretch the field and I know that's all he can really do, but it would open up so much more for guys like Gates, Royal, and Green who do exceptionally well in man to man.

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The reality though is that (and this comes from numerous Raider fans who are actually intelligible - note: I didn't say intelligent, but there are a very few reasonable ones out there) DHB can't track the ball over his shoulder for squat. He's a faster-than-greased-owl-sheet possession receiver because all he's good for as a deep threat is a decoy - teams who have done their film room study know he can't catch the deep ball. It'd be about as effective as deploying Kassim Osgood on 9-routes.

The reality though is that (and this comes from numerous Raider fans who are actually intelligible - note: I didn't say intelligent, but there are a very few reasonable ones out there) DHB can't track the ball over his shoulder for squat. He's a faster-than-greased-owl-sheet possession receiver because all he's good for as a deep threat is a decoy - teams who have done their film room study know he can't catch the deep ball. It'd be about as effective as deploying Kassim Osgood on 9-routes.

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I think they were grading him post-concussion/hit he took from Ryan Mundy last year against the Steelers. He's not the best tracking the ball over his shoulder, but he isn't that bad if you remember his 2011 season, he had some monster games. He runs really sharp routes, and the fact DB's play off of him because that respect of his speed allows him to run those sharp comeback routes.

But after that Pitt game he just wasn't the same. Hopefully he's good now, I don't think it hurts us by adding a guy on a 1 yr./$1.5M-2 yr./$2.5M contract. Who knows how our receiving core adapts to McCoy/Whisenhunt's offense.

Can someone explain how guys like Royal and Gaither will have the same cap hit if released next year as they would if released this year? The only way I can imagine that being the case is if they have extra guaranteed money that kicks in if they are on the roster this year. Otherwise, the dead money should decline.

Yeah, but you also have to consider that every player cut will need to be replaced. So i think with all the holes we already have, we can't just cut everyone, especially considering how little cap space we have

Can someone explain how guys like Royal and Gaither will have the same cap hit if released next year as they would if released this year? The only way I can imagine that being the case is if they have extra guaranteed money that kicks in if they are on the roster this year. Otherwise, the dead money should decline.

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Where are you getting that they'd have the same cap hit if released next year?

Royal's contract guaranteed $6 million, he's been paid $6 million. We however have only counted $3 million against the salary cap, so if we release him it's $3 million against the cap and only freeing up $1.5 million (not exactly the amount you're going to get a comparable replacement for). He's count $1.5 million against the cap if released next season and would free up $4.5 million in space. Gaither's costing a minimum of $6 million against the cap this season one way or another - either as a $6 million dead money cap hit if released or $6.5 million if kept on the roster. Moreover, I'm pretty sure since we guaranteed him $13.5 million and have only paid him $9 million to day, his base salary this year is effectively guaranteed (which means it's going to count against the cap even if he's released... so really make that that he counts as a $10.5 million hit this year if we release him - hence why I've been saying if he gets released it'll be after June 1st).

Correct me if I am wrong, but if we keep Gaither this year and cut him next year, wouldn't that leave similar dead money next year? So the only thing we do by keeping him is hurt our cap space next year.

The bizarre series of events that unfolded on Friday, when Elvis Dumervil agreed to a restructured contract with the Broncos, only to get cut because his revised contract didn’t make it to the team’s fax machine in time, has cost Dumervil’s agent his job.

Agent Marty Magid told Mike Garafolo of USA Today that Dumervil called him Saturday afternoon to say he wants to “move in another direction.”

Magid said Broncos fans have inundated him with angry emails, although he also claims that the Broncos deserve some of the blame for trying to make late changes to Dumervil’s deal. Magid added that he has waived the usual five-day waiting period for players to hire a new agent, so Dumervil can hire a new agent immediately.

“It’s terrible, but he said he knows what happened and why it happened,” Magid said. “I know the people in Denver think I should be fired, but like I said [Friday], there were a lot of reasons for why it happened.”

Dumervil is now an unrestricted free agent, and Magid said several teams have already called him to express interest.
“I had teams lined up that were interested in him,” Magid said. “They’ll have to contact his new guy now.”

Think that tells you the direction they're going in, steering from Sebastian Vollmer. Vollmer will be 29 come July, I say sign him up to a 2 yr deal or so, but cut Jeromey Clary first, and also Charlie Whitehurst and that will save us $3.6M.

Only guys I want right now are Sebastian Vollmer and Darrius Heyward-Bey, both on 2-3 year deals. Then I want to re-sign Aubrayo Franklin, Vaughn Martin and Ty Green.

We can attack areas of need in the draft, such as OT, OLB, OG, NT, and ILB.

The Raiders effectively swapped outside linebackers with the Dolphins, but doubtless got the cheaper end of the deal.
According to Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times, the Raiders signed linebacker Kevin Burnett Sunday.

Think that tells you the direction they're going in, steering from Sebastian Vollmer. Vollmer will be 29 come July, I say sign him up to a 2 yr deal or so, but cut Jeromey Clary first, and also Charlie Whitehurst and that will save us $3.6M.

Only guys I want right now are Sebastian Vollmer and Darrius Heyward-Bey, both on 2-3 year deals. Then I want to re-sign Aubrayo Franklin, Vaughn Martin and Ty Green.

We can attack areas of need in the draft, such as OT, OLB, OG, NT, and ILB.

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I'd bring back Barnes and Franklin without a doubt, some other guys to consider...

Damn we still have so many needs. I was hoping to have some more questions answered at this point in free agency, but even with our signings I feel like every single position on the roster, with the possible exception of DE, could use a draft pick. Hopefully we can plug a few more holes over the next month.

Damn we still have so many needs. I was hoping to have some more questions answered at this point in free agency, but even with our signings I feel like every single position on the roster, with the possible exception of DE, could use a draft pick. Hopefully we can plug a few more holes over the next month.

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We're 6 days in, some really good players still on the market, waiting on some prices to drop I'm sure to make a move or somebody to run out of contention in a signing.